<p>It’s because students at those schools are all Type A kids who have access to the best opportunities after graduation with regards to jobs and graduate schools. There’s also a halo effect where the ambition and academic excellence of the peers around you or lack thereof positively or negatively impact you.</p>
<p>You’re unlikely to go to a law school below a certain threshold from Harvard since you hold yourself to a higher standard because of the environment you’re placed in where all of your classmates are gunning for the top ranked ones. </p>
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I would be vary of spreading this around as if it was gospel since in a number of cases where you went to school does matter more than your personal attributes. Finance, consulting, non profit and government are all areas where if you’re not from a school of a certain caliber, its tough to break in.</p>
<p>Even for law school or medical school, where your undergraduate institution’s reputation supposedly doesn’t matter, students in environments where going to the top-ranked programs is a norm will fare much better as I discussed above. The level of encouragement, advising and ambition you have will depend on factors that are external and not in your control.</p>
<p>That’s why the strength of the student body matters a lot.</p>